My heart bleeds as I read the headlines of a top online community of international reporters and social advocates, Sahara Reporters on Federal Government of Nigeria's supposed large-scale skill development programme known as N-Power.
N-Power established in 2016 with the sole aim of "empowering Nigerian Youths for Prosperity" is a project targeting at implementation of the Federal Government’s policies in the economic, employment and social development arenas. The programme is managed with direct responsibility to the Presidency.
The programme was specifically designed as a post-tertiary engagement initiative for Nigerians between 18 and 35. It is a paid volunteering programme of a 2-year duration. The volunteer graduates are to undertake their primary tasks in identified public services within their proximate communities.
N-Power is meant to address the challenge of youth unemployment by providing a structure for large scale and relevant work skills acquisition and development while linking its core and outcomes to fixing inadequate public services and stimulating the larger economy.
Sad that over the past years of the programme, it has become a culture medium for breeding laziness in Nigerian youths, stripping them of their creativity, encouraging corruption in governance and pampering unemployment to insane highs in the country.
Amazing to read that "all N-Power Volunteers are entitled to computing devices that will contain information necessary for their specific engagement, as well as information for their continuous training and development." It bothers me what the people actually use the gadgets to do while enrolling in the scheme and afterwards. Some even sell them off for peanuts.
The Federal Government of Nigeria announced the kickstart of the third batch of the the N-Power beneficiaries enrolment and on June 26, the ministry commenced the enrolment process The Federal Government had disclosed that 400,000 applicants would be absorbed into the third batch of the scheme.
As of yesterday evening, the Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development,Sadiya Umar Farouq announced that over 1 million applications have already been submitted while there were only 400,000 slots.
“In line with the ongoing N-Power Batch C online application which commenced Friday June 26, 2020, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, hereby announces that over 1,000,000 applications have been received from across the federation in less than 48 hours after the Honourable Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq, declared open the new N-Power portal on the ministry’s website. - source
The registration is going through for two weeks and with the trend in enrollment, there may be over 10 million applications. After the selection of 400,000 slots, what happens to the rest? Already most of them that were employed in private organizations have lost their jobs due to covid-19 menace.
Hunger and Depression Looms...
I'm foreseeing a massive depression when only 400,000 would be selected leaving behind millions of others. There wpould be hunger in the land, much more hunger than was.
The hopes of many would be dashed that after spending about $5 to complete the application process, would be told to wait (infinitely) for the next batch..
Where do we go from here?
How I wish some Nigerians would see the need to build themselves up financially on Hivge blockchain. Sometime ago, I penned "Hive is Hiring". Maybe we got to make more noise on Twitter in case some can see and get enrolled here instead.
N-Power pays $75 as monthly salary and this is the job that millions are going for when consistent content creators on Hive are earning $75 weekly.
Though I run an ICT centre, I have refused to register for N-Power
Who will join me in this campaign? Who will support me? I need to save my generation from this impending depression.
I want to start a #QuitNpowerJoinHive Campaign. I need supports in Hive Power delegation for the new users I will enrol. I need a curation strength (assurance) to give them a one month robust curation at least to earn $100.
Who will support this initiative? You may be saving a generation. Would community leaders on Hive help?
Cc: 
